PIC16LF876-04/SP - 4MHz 8-bit Flash MCU, 14KB | Microchip
MPN: PIC16LF876-04/SP ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $8.53 | $8.53 |
| 10 | $7.95 | $79.50 |
| 100 | $7.2 | $720.00 |
| 500 | $6.4 | $3,200.00 |
| 1,000 | $5.6 | $5,600.00 |
PIC16LF876-04/SP Overview
An 8-bit microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip processor that integrates a CPU, RAM, program memory, and peripherals into one package. Within the broader taxonomy, the PIC16LF876 sits at: PIC microcontroller -> 8-bit MCU -> Flash-programmable MCU -> low-power (LF) variant -> embedded controller. The "LF" prefix denotes Microchip's low-voltage process that supports operation down to 2.0 V, compared to the standard "F" parts that require 4.0 V minimum. This makes the LF876 ideal for battery-powered or energy-harvesting designs where a standard F-variant part cannot start up reliably.
Key features include 22 digital I/O pins, a 10-bit multi-channel ADC, USART, MSSP (SPI/I2C), two 8-bit timers plus one 16-bit timer, a 256-byte EEPROM data area, and in-circuit serial programming (ICSP) via two pins. Peripherals are mapped to dedicated pins and are documented in the device datasheet, which also covers the mid-range 14-bit instruction set with 35 single-word instructions.
The PIC16LF876-04/SP uses Harvard architecture with separate program and data buses, allowing instruction fetch and data access in a single cycle. This architectural choice delivers deterministic interrupt latency and predictable timing for real-time control loops, which is one reason the PIC mid-range family remains popular in industrial, appliance, and automotive-body applications decades after introduction.
Typical applications include battery-powered sensor nodes, low-power remote controls, HVAC thermostat controllers, appliance user interfaces, simple motor control, and white-goods control boards. The wide 2.0 V to 5.5 V range supports direct connection to single-cell Li-ion or 3-cell alkaline supplies without additional regulation.
When designing with this part, note the "-04" speed suffix indicates a 4 MHz part; the "-20" suffix denotes a 20 MHz variant. Pick the -04 version when you need relaxed timing for EMI-sensitive or low-power applications, and choose the -20 part only when you need the additional throughput. The PIC16F876A is the recommended migration path for new designs as Microchip has announced the PIC16F886 as the modern replacement.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in SPDIP alternatives, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for PIC16LF876-04/SP — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
Variants in this series
Same-series models that are drop-in compatible with PIC16LF876-04/SP (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Communication, Watchdog Timer, ADC, Timers.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PIC16LF876-04I/SP
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$4.78 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F876-04/SP
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$2.88 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LF876A-I/SP
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$4.02 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16F876A-I/SP
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PIC16LF873A-I/SP
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$5.78 / Unit
View Datasheet →PIC16LF876-04/SP Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Processor | PIC |
| Core Size | 8-bit |
| Family | PIC16F87x |
| Program Memory Size | 14 KB (8K x 14 words) Flash |
| RAM Size | 368 bytes |
| EEPROM Size | 256 bytes |
| Maximum CPU Frequency | 4 MHz |
| Operating Voltage Range | 2.0 V to 5.5 V |
| I/O Pins | 22 |
| ADC | 10-bit, 5 channels |
| Timers | 2 x 8-bit, 1 x 16-bit |
| Communication | USART, MSSP (SPI / I2C) |
| Program Memory Type | Flash (in-circuit serial programmable, ICSP) |
| Package | 28-pin SPDIP (Skinny Plastic DIP), 0.300 inch (7.62 mm) row spacing |
| Mounting Type | Through-Hole |
| Instruction Set | Mid-range, 35 single-word instructions, 14-bit opcode |
| Watchdog Timer | Yes, on-chip |
| Brown-out Reset | Yes |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
PIC16LF876-04/SP Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | MCLR/VPP — Master Clear (reset) input / programming voltage |
| Pin 2 | RA0/AN0 — Digital I/O RA0 or analog input AN0 |
| Pin 3 | RA1/AN1 — Digital I/O RA1 or analog input AN1 |
| Pin 4 | RA2/AN2 — Digital I/O RA2 or analog input AN2 |
| Pin 5 | RA3/AN3/VREF+ — Digital I/O RA3, analog input AN3, or ADC VREF+ |
| Pin 6 | RA4/T0CKI — Digital I/O RA4 or Timer0 clock input |
| Pin 7 | RA5/AN4/SS — Digital I/O RA5, analog input AN4, or SPI slave select |
| Pin 8 | VSS — Ground reference |
| Pin 9 | OSC1/CLKIN — Crystal oscillator input or external clock input |
| Pin 10 | OSC2/CLKOUT — Crystal oscillator output or clock output |
| Pin 11 | RC0/T1OSO/T1CKI — Digital I/O RC0, Timer1 oscillator output, or Timer1 clock input |
| Pin 12 | RC1/T1OSI/CCP2 — Digital I/O RC1, Timer1 oscillator input, or CCP2 |
| Pin 13 | RC2/CCP1 — Digital I/O RC2 or CCP1 (PWM/capture/compare) |
| Pin 14 | RC3/SCK/SCL — Digital I/O RC3, SPI clock, or I2C clock |
| Pin 15 | RC4/SDI/SDA — Digital I/O RC4, SPI data in, or I2C data |
| Pin 16 | RC5/SDO — Digital I/O RC5 or SPI data out |
| Pin 17 | RC6/TX/CK — Digital I/O RC6, USART TX, or USART clock |
| Pin 18 | RC7/RX/DT — Digital I/O RC7, USART RX, or USART data |
| Pin 19 | VSS — Ground reference (second VSS pin) |
| Pin 20 | VDD — Positive supply voltage (first VDD pin) |
| Pin 21 | RB0/INT — Digital I/O RB0 or external interrupt input |
| Pin 22 | RB1 — Digital I/O RB1 |
| Pin 23 | RB2 — Digital I/O RB2 |
| Pin 24 | RB3/PGM — Digital I/O RB3 or ICSP programming mode |
| Pin 25 | RB4 — Digital I/O RB4 |
| Pin 26 | RB5 — Digital I/O RB5 |
| Pin 27 | RB6/PGC — Digital I/O RB6 or ICSP clock (ICD) |
| Pin 28 | RB7/PGD — Digital I/O RB7 or ICSP data (ICD) |
Typical Applications
PIC16LF876-04/SP is suitable for 6 applications: Battery-Powered Sensor Nodes, HVAC Thermostat Controllers, Appliance User Interface Boards, Low-Power Remote Controls, White-Goods Motor Control, Industrial Sensor Conditioning.
Battery-Powered Sensor Nodes
The PIC16LF876-04/SP is a strong fit for battery-powered sensor nodes because its 2.0 V to 5.5 V supply range allows direct connection to a single-cell Li-ion or 2x/3x alkaline stack without a boost converter, while its 4 MHz speed grade and nanampere Sleep current minimise total energy per measurement cycle. In a typical wireless sensor node the MCU wakes from Sleep, reads the 10-bit ADC on one of its 5 analog channels, writes calibration data to the 256-byte EEPROM, transmits via MSSP SPI to an external radio, and returns to Sleep, a pattern that the LF876's brown-out reset and watchdog timer make deterministic across the full battery discharge curve.
Recommended
HVAC Thermostat Controllers
The PIC16LF876-04/SP suits HVAC thermostat and climate-control boards because its 22 digital I/O can drive 7-segment displays, keypad scan lines, relay coils, and triac gates from a single chip. The 14 KB Flash holds HVAC state-machine firmware plus UI strings, and the 10-bit ADC reads thermistor bridges with adequate resolution for setpoint accuracy. Operating from a 24 VAC half-wave rectified rail at roughly 5 V DC, the LF876's wide supply tolerance and on-chip brown-out reset protect against relay switching transients. The USART also enables connection to a Wi-Fi or Modbus module for smart-thermostat networking.
Recommended
Appliance User Interface Boards
The PIC16LF876-04/SP is well matched to appliance UI boards (washing machines, dishwashers, microwave ovens) because it can scan a 4x4 keypad, drive a character LCD via MSSP, control triac-switched loads through opto-isolated outputs, and run a finite-state-machine program in 14 KB Flash. The 4 MHz instruction rate is fast enough to multiplex displays without visible flicker. The industrial-grade PIC16LF876-04I variant extends this same design into environments with elevated ambient temperature near motors or heating elements, sharing the 28-SPDIP footprint and pinout so the firmware and PCB remain identical across consumer and appliance-tier SKUs.
Recommended
Low-Power Remote Controls
The PIC16LF876-04/SP is appropriate for IR/RF remote controls because its 2.0 V minimum supply supports two AAA cells from fresh to end-of-life without a boost regulator, and its Sleep current keeps shelf life multi-year. The MSSP peripheral generates IR carrier via PWM, while the USART can drive sub-GHz transceivers for bidirectional remotes. The 14 KB Flash easily fits consumer remote-control firmware with multiple device code tables, and the 368-byte RAM holds the active protocol state machine. Drop-in compatibility with the PIC16F876A-I/SP allows future migration to a higher-MIPS variant if additional UI features are needed.
Recommended
White-Goods Motor Control
The PIC16LF876-04/SP handles simple BLDC or universal-motor control loops in fans, pumps, and small appliances, where its 4 MHz instruction rate suffices for low-RPM commutation and PID loops. The 10-bit ADC reads back-EMF or current-sense amplifiers, and the PWM output plus timer-capture inputs support tachometer feedback from Hall sensors. The LF variant's 2.0 V minimum also enables direct drive from rectified mains in capacitor-dropped supplies, simplifying the analog front end. For higher-speed motor-control loops, the drop-in PIC16LF876A-I/SP provides the same 28-SPDIP footprint at 20 MHz/5 MIPS.
Recommended
Industrial Sensor Conditioning
The PIC16LF876-04/SP fits industrial 4-20 mA loop-powered sensor conditioners because its 2.0 V minimum lets it start up directly from a loop-derived supply, while its 14 KB Flash holds linearisation tables for RTD, thermocouple, or strain-gauge signal chains. The 10-bit ADC is adequate for process-control accuracy of approximately 0.1 percent of full scale. The 22 I/O drive the loop transmitter DAC through PWM filtering, front-panel LEDs, and an RS-485 Modbus transceiver. HART communication is feasible by modulating the loop current with the MSSP peripheral, and the on-chip EEPROM stores calibration constants that survive power cycling.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PIC16LF876-04/SP — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PIC16LF876-04I/SP | PIC16F876-04/SP | PIC16LF876A-I/SP | PIC16F876A-I/SP | PIC16LF873A-I/SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Package | 28-SPDIP | 28-SPDIP - same | 28-SPDIP - same | 28-SPDIP - same | 28-SPDIP - same | 28-SPDIP - same |
| Operating Voltage Range | 2.0 V to 5.5 V | 2.0 V to 5.5 V | 4.0 V to 5.5 V | 2.0 V to 5.5 V | 4.0 V to 5.5 V | 2.0 V to 5.5 V |
| Maximum CPU Frequency | 4 MHz | 4 MHz | 4 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 14 KB | 14 KB | 14 KB | 14 KB | 14 KB | 7 KB (-50%) |
| RAM | 368 bytes | 368 bytes | 368 bytes | 368 bytes | 368 bytes | 192 bytes (-48%) |
| I/O Pins | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 |
| ADC | 10-bit, 5 channels | 10-bit, 5 channels | 10-bit, 5 channels | 10-bit, 5 channels | 10-bit, 5 channels | 10-bit, 5 channels |
| Operating Temperature | 0C to +70C | -40C to +85C (industrial) | 0C to +70C | -40C to +85C (industrial) | -40C to +85C (industrial) | -40C to +85C (industrial) |
Key Differentiators
- Lower minimum supply voltage (2.0 V vs 4.0 V) (vs PIC16F876-04/SP)
- Wider industrial operating temperature range (vs PIC16LF876-04/SP (this product))
- 5x higher CPU throughput via drop-in silicon revision (vs PIC16LF876A-I/SP)
Design Notes
The PIC16LF876-04/SP can operate directly from a single-cell Li-ion battery (2.0 V to 4.2 V) or from two/three alkaline cells (2.0 V to 4.8 V) without a boost converter. Decouple VDD with a 100 nF ceramic capacitor placed within 5 mm of the VDD pin (pin 20 or the second VDD pin on larger packages) to suppress digital switching transients. Add a bulk 10 uF electrolytic or tantalum if the ADC is being read during load steps such as relay activation.
Brown-out reset (BOR) must be enabled in the configuration words for reliable LF (2.0 V) operation; without BOR, indeterminate CPU state can occur as VDD falls through the MCU's threshold region. The MCLR pin (pin 1) requires a 10 kohm pull-up to VDD for normal operation and must NOT be left floating. When using ICSP, isolate the MCLR pull-up from any external reset circuitry so the programmer can drive MCLR low.
Place the decoupling capacitor as close to the VDD/VSS pair as the PCB layout allows, ideally within 3 mm. Keep the crystal or resonator traces (OSC1/OSC2) short and surround them with a ground pour to reduce EMI. The 28-SPDIP package is through-hole with 0.300 inch (7.62 mm) row spacing, so reserve standard DIP-28 land pattern and avoid mixing with SOIC-28 footprints.
Route the ADC analog inputs (RA0-RA5) away from digital switching traces such as the oscillator, PWM outputs, or relay-drive pins to minimise crosstalk into measurements. If the design uses the ADC at high source impedances (>2 kohm), add a 100 nF bypass capacitor at the analog pin to filter RF pickup. Reference voltage pin (RA3/VREF+) should be bypassed with 10 uF + 100 nF for ADC accuracy.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliance per Microchip product page and distributor listings (DigiKey, Mouser, LCSC). AEC-Q100 not applicable - this is a general-purpose MCU, not automotive-qualified.
